Final Fantasy X: Next Generation
by AnimeSketch
Summary: Chapter 5 up! Twenty years have passed since Yuna's first pilgrimage to defeat Sin. Everyone thought Sin was gone for good. They were wrong...
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It was a gorgeous day over the tropical island of Besaid. Over the southern beach, a flock of seagulls flew, flapping their silvery wings in the sun. The harmonic rhythm of the flock was suddenly distorted, however, by the sudden upward motion of a blue-and-white sphere. The sphere then began its fall towards the beach below, where it landed in the hands of a young athlete.

"Hey Lukas! Did you see that shot?" the young man asked as his crimson hair rustled in the sea breeze. He turned to his friend, who was sitting against the wall of the beach's cliffs, with a sketchbook in his lap.

"That was your Thunder Sphere, right?" the young artist replied. "Can I make a criticism?"

"Sure."

"Well, I know you've got the 'Sphere' part down. But you're lacking in the 'Thunder' department."

The athlete laughed and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I've got the Water Sphere, Fire Sphere, and Blizzard Sphere down. But this one's giving me a lot of trouble." A worried look crossed his face. "Do you think I'll be able to learn it before the Luca championship this year?"

Lukas stood up, brushed the sand from his shorts, and walked over to his friend, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Vidina, you're going to do fine. I'd try not to worry about it too much, but…" Suddenly, a bright look crossed his face. "Hey, did my dad ever tell you the time he learned his signature shot on the boat trip to Luca?"

Vidina shook his head. "No, I never asked him."

Lukas excitedly took Vidina's hand as he began to head toward the north exit of the beach. "Well, come on! You've got to hear this!"

"Dad!"

Tidus looked up as his son Lukas and his friend Vidina came running through the Besaid Village Gate. He smiled and waved to them as they ran up to him.

"Dad," Lukas began, "you've got to tell Vidina about that awesome shot you made on the way to Luca!"

"You mean the Jecht Shot? That was my father's shot."

"That was Grandpa's shot! You never told me that!"

Tidus smiled. "There's a lot you don't know about Grandpa, Lukas. Anyway, that was almost 20 years ago. I hope I can remember it. Anyway, come on into the tent and sit down. I'll tell you the story." He lifted the cloth flap and ushered the boys in. They sat and listened intently as Tidus began:

"About twenty years ago, a monstrous being called Sin roamed the land. Everywhere it would go it would cause destruction and chaos in its wake. The only way that Sin could be stopped would be for a summoner to come forth and call upon the Final Summoning. This required a long journey to the Holy Land, Zanarkand. Along the way, several temples were placed where the summoner would receive a blessing from beings called Aeons, who were to assist in battle against Sin.

"Anyway, we were on a trip to Luca, where we had to take a break from our journey for the blitzball tournament. In order to be recognized by anyone, I had to use my father's signature shot, the Jecht Shot. I had failed to use it properly so I had to practice, and there was no better time to do so. Back then, I hated my father for abandoning my family. He never spoke to me in a loving tone either, always calling me a crybaby. My anger roused easily from his taunts. I decided that I would channel my anger into making that shot. I launched the blitzball into the air, crouched down, leapt up into the air, and made the shot! It was such an awesome shot that I actually launched the ball from the boat!

"Finally, we got to Luca, and participated in the tournament. However, no one was able to recognize my shot, except Auron, my father's friend. At that point, he asked to join our party and Lady Yuna, your mother," he mentioned, nodding towards Lukas, "accepted his offer."

"Wow. I would like to learn that shot sometime," Vidina whispered, his eyes glowing with interest.

Tidus laughed. "Really? I'll show it to you sometime."

"Well, I think it's about time for you to go home, Vidina," Lukas said. "We can practice by the beach again tomorrow, if you want?"

"No problem," Vidina replied, and the two exchanged a quick handshake. "I'll see you tomorrow, then." And with that, he left.

"And you, young man, need to get some firewood for tonight," Tidus said. "I'd suggest you get to it, or your mother won't be happy."

"No problem, dad." Lukas replied as he left the tent.

That night, Lukas lay in his bed, thinking about his father. _It's amazing how much fun he had on his journey. He's told me so many stories that I want to have an adventure of my own! _He felt the familiar weight of sleep crawling over his eyes and closed them, looking forward to the events of tomorrow.

Suddenly, a loud rumble woke him from his sleep, and he rushed outside the tent to see what was going on. People in the other tents also emerged, wondering what was going on. Lukas' parents came up behind him and joined him as he made his way to the rear of the village temple. The entire village was there, looking out over the water. Suddenly, the waves broke in the distance, and a fin was sticking up out of the water that Lukas had never seen before. However, most of the villagers fell into an uproar which led to panic, and the clearing behind the temple cleaned out. Lukas looked over and saw Vidina and his parents, Wakka and Lulu, viewing the water in concern.

"Mom," Lukas said, turning to the meek woman standing behind him, her normally friendly and smiling face becoming twisted into a concerned frown, "what is that?"

"That is something that I thought you would never see, Lukas," Yuna replied, anger strewn across her face. "That… is the one they call Sin."


	2. Chapter 2: Sin

Chapter 2: Sin

"Sin… I can't believe it's back," Yuna remarked.

The entire village of Besaid had gathered in front of the bonfire to discuss the sighting from earlier that afternoon. Everyone was in a state of nervousness, for Sin was known to destroy entire cities in a matter of minutes. Indeed, for over a thousand years, there was much reason to fear Sin's power.

"I don't even understand how it can possibly return, ya?" Wakka said. "Even if it could come back, who or what could possibly be controlling the body? The body acts as an armor for whoever's inside, but who could it be?"

"It can't possibly be one of the aeons," Lulu reasoned. "When Yu Yevon possessed them, we freed them and then defeated Yu Yevon. There's no way it could have possessed anything else."

"It would seem…" Yuna continued, "…that there is no way that we can possibly defeat Sin this time."

"Mom! We can't give up!" Lukas exclaimed. "There's no way that we can let it claim victory, even if we don't know how to defeat it!"

"He's got a point," Tidus agreed. "Remember how we didn't know how to defeat Sin the first time? It may be the case this time as well."

"That's well and good, Tidus," Yuna retorted. "But again, we no longer have the aeons, and therefore, we've got a disadvantage. I can't do anything now, and neither can the other summoners. Even if we could, we've all aged. It'll be more difficult to make the journey."

"Then I'll go," Vidina volunteered.

Wakka and Lulu turned sharply. "What!"

"I'll go," Vidina repeated. "I have to go to Luca anyway for the championship, so why not?"

"Vidina, I can't let you do this by yourself," Yuna replied. "It's very noble for you to volunteer like this. However, I know firsthand that a journey, especially one involving Sin, is very dangerous."

"That is why I'm going with him," Lukas finished.

"Lukas?" Tidus was surprised.

"Well, I heard about your adventures and I want to go on a journey of my own. Also, Vidina's my best friend. I can't let him go alone. So, would it be okay with you, Mom? Dad?"

"Well, I don't really mind, because I'd like to be the guy who said my son defeated Sin!" Tidus beamed.

"Tidus!" Yuna exclaimed. "Oh well, I don't think anything I say will stop you anyway, Lukas. But first, I'm going to get a hold of Rikku to see if there's any way she can help."

"Cousin Rikku!" Lukas joyfully shouted. "You think she'll be able to help too?"

Vidina laughed. "A mere mention of his dear cousin, and he goes wild. So, Lukas, should we set off?"

Wakka crossed his arms. "Hold it, young man. I never said you could go. And besides, you have nowhere to start from. You really think that you're just gonna go up to Sin and challenge it? You need to build your strength, ya?"

Vidina's eyes flashed. "So that's a 'yes', Dad?"

Wakka stumbled. "What? No, I didn't…"

"Of course it is, kiddo." Lulu interrupted. "But do us a favor, will you? Give us until tomorrow to get some supplies ready for you. You can't leave without a boat ready, anyhow."

"I see," Vidina replied. "That would be a good idea, really. Well then, let's get some sleep, ya? We'll need it to set off tomorrow."

"Yeah," Lukas agreed. "I'll see you tomorrow, then? Then we can figure out where to start on our journey."

That night, as Lukas was sleeping, he felt something brush against his face and sat up in his cot, startled. Looking around, he noticed a pyrefly floating casually in the air. Looking outside the tent, he came across a surprising scene before him. A trail of pyreflies led the way inside Besaid Temple. Lukas' first instinct was to follow the trail, but he made sure to stop inside Vidina's tent to wake up his best friend.

"Lukas?" Vidina sat up, rubbing his eyes. "What's going on?"

"Come on, Vidina. Something weird is going on outside. There's a trail of pyreflies leading into the temple. I want to follow it and see where it leads."

"Shouldn't we tell our parents about it?" Vidina asked, getting out of his cot.

"Let's just check it out first, okay?"

"Sure, bro. No problem."

Leading the way into the darkened temple, Lukas noticed that the trail led forward into the Cloister of Trials, where passage inside was forbidden. However, none of the priests were guarding the entrances, so the two slipped inside. Following the different twists and turns of the Cloister, they eventually found themselves inside the Cavern of the Fayth, where a soft hymn was heard.

"This song…" Lukas began. "I've never heard it before, but it stirs up some familiar feelings."

"Same for me," Vidina recalled. "Dad told me this is the Hymn of the Fayth. But how can this be? Our parents freed the faith, did they not?"

"Yes, but maybe it's playing because Sin has returned?" Lukas noted as a pyrefly fluttered past his face. "Either way, something's going on here." He looked at the floor, where his parents said a hole used to be; however, there was no hole, only solid floor. In the middle of the floor, however, a beam of light was seen, stretching from the floor to the ceiling. As Lukas looked on, the beam got brighter and wider, and a beautiful woman dressed in unearthly garments walked out from the beams.

"Who are you!" Vidina demanded.

The woman smiled. "I am Altima, the guardian of these seals. Since the Fayth were freed, I have been assigned to watch over these holy places in the case of Sin's revival. Since you have found me, I am guessing that Sin has returned?"


	3. Chapter 3: Altima

Chapter 3: Altima

"I am Altima, the guardian of these seals. Since the Fayth were freed, I have been assigned to watch over the temples of Spira in the case of Sin's revival. Since you have found me, I am guessing that Sin has returned?" the woman standing in the middle of the Chamber of the Fayth said.

"Indeed," Lukas began, "and then we followed the pyreflies leading into here, and met you."

"I assume that you are going to find a way to stop Sin?" Altima questioned.

"We can't allow Sin to devastate the land, ya?" Vidina replied. "It no longer belongs in Spira."

"That's too bad," said a voice coming from the shadows. "Sin should be allowed to rule this land, and I'm going to stop anyone who wishes to make the situation otherwise!" A shadowed figure stepped forward, just stopping short of a beam of light. "So, Altima, it would seem that you've reached out to anyone who was willing to protect Spira."

"Who are you?" the guardian replied. However, before she could find out an answer, the light in the center of the room faded, and she along with it.

"This temple is finally sealed in darkness," the voice continued. "However, if you wish to defeat Sin, then I have no choice but to finish you off right here!" The figure raised an arm into the air. "Dark Valefor! I summon you now! Finish off these weaklings!" With that, the figure faded, and all was dark.

"Um… Lukas," Vidina began, "are we in trouble?"

At that moment, a loud screech filled the air.

Lukas looked worried. "I'd say we are." He raised a finger to point in the direction in front of him. "Look!"

Vidina followed the path his friend's finger pointed out, and just ahead of them, in the dim light of the chamber, stood an enormous creature, spreading its wings. Its ruby red eyes glowed in the darkness, glaring upon the two boys.

"Is that a phoenix?" Vidina wondered.

"I don't think so," Lukas replied. "I remember hearing about this thing from my mom. This is one of the aeons!"

Vidina's eyes widened as the creature flapped its wings and lifted itself into the air, causing the air in the room to rush about. Covering his face with his arms, he cried out, "Which one!"

"I think it's Valefor!"

Valefor screeched again and flew about the cavern and swooped upon its prey. Lukas and Vidina tried to dodge, the giant bird missing them by mere inches.

"We can't keep this up!" Lukas cried out. "We're too slow to dodge its attacks for too much longer!"

The bird made one final swoop, driving the boys into a corner. Finally, Valefor swooped up into the air, faced its prey, and spread its wings wide.

"No! It's the Sonic Wings!" Lukas cried.

"The Sonic Wings?" Vidina asked. Lukas had no time to answer; as the bird flapped its wings so hard and swiftly that the air formed a swirling vortex which headed straight for the boys. They tried to stay in place, but the force of the wind was too much. They were both flung into the wall, crumpling to the floor in a heap.

"It's too strong…" Lukas cringed, looking up at the bird. In that moment, however, he wished he hadn't looked at all. Valefor had opened its beak, and a ball of light had formed, and was now growing brighter with each passing moment. _This is it,_ he thought. _That's his Energy Cannon. No way can we survive that!_ He closed his eyes tightly as he heard the sound of the beam being released…

…and hit the upper walls of the chamber. Realizing that the aeon had missed, Lukas opened his eyes. Something had made it miss, but what?

"Hey birdbrain!" a voice yelled, "Why don't you pick on someone who can fight back?"

Lukas craned his neck towards the entrance of the Chamber of the Fayth, where Tidus and Wakka stood, defiantly facing Valefor. Wakka had blasted his blitzball at the bird, causing it to miss its target. Tidus jumped between the aeon and the boys, unsheathing his Brotherhood sword, and pointing it at Valefor. He then turned his head to the entrance. "Yuna! Do it!"

Yuna had appeared in the doorway, carrying her staff. She began to dance in a circle, and pyreflies began to appear from the floor. Valefor screeched in what seemed like a mix of agony and anger. Within a few seconds, it burst into a mass of pyreflies and vanished. The light in the chamber returned to normal.

Tidus walked up to his son. "Lukas," he began. "Are you okay?"

Lukas crawled to his feet, holding his arm against his torso. "I think so. He turned to face Wakka, who had rushed over to help Vidina. "Is he okay?"

Wakka smiled. "A couple bumps and bruises, but nothing bad. I think he'll be fine, ya?"

Suddenly, the beam of light reappeared in the chamber and Altima appeared. "I apologize," she began. "I couldn't guard this seal when I needed to. What happened?"

"That thing…" Lukas began.

"That thing…" Yuna interrupted. "…was an aeon; a being that had the power to fight Sin long ago. At one point, however, they had been possessed in the fight against Shuyin. But we had freed the Fayth again, so the aeons were also freed."

"What exactly is going on?" Wakka exclaimed.

Altima shook her head. "Even I do not know. However, it would seem that the other temples in Spira have had the seals corrupted again. In order to defeat Sin, we must unlock the darkness imbued on each seal." She turned to Lukas. "Are you still willing to accomplish this?"

"Like Vidina said, Sin can't be allowed to roam the land anymore. We need to stop it if possible." He turned to Yuna. "Mom, you were on the pilgrimage that the summoners followed. Where is the next temple?"

"Even with all this danger, you're still willing to take on this journey?" Yuna asked, exasperated. "Alright, I can't stop you two, it seems. The next temple is to the north, in Kilika."

"Kilika? You mean the place that was rebuilt after Sin destroyed it?"

"It's near Kilika, in the woods."

"Indeed," Altima began. "The Aeon of Fire, Ifrit, used to dwell there. Then I shall await you at that seal." With that, she disappeared once again.

Vidina grinned. "Well, Lukas, shall we get going?"

Wakka glared at Vidina. "What are you talking about? No way am I letting you go without punishing you first!"

"Punishing me?" Vidina gulped.

"Oh ya, I'll make sure of it! Why did you run off into the temple in the middle of the night, young man?"

"Well, um… Lukas put me up to it!"

"What! Hey now…" Lukas waved his arms frantically. "Don't you dare get me involved!"

"What do you mean!" Vidina fired back. "YOU'RE the one who got ME involved, remember? You should be punished too!"

"Darn right!" Wakka roared. "I'm making sure the both of you are held back from your journey for one day! You're both going to make sure the arrangements are taken care of for yourselves!"

Vidina and Lukas groaned.


	4. Chapter 4: Kilika

Chapter 4

The next day, Lukas and Vidina stood on the docks at Besaid Beach, waiting for their ride to Kilika. Their parents stood behind them to see them off.

"Here," Tidus said, giving Lukas a crimson sword to take with him. "There are more dangerous fiends out there than the ones you see on this island. This sword was given to me by my father, and I think it'll help you too. At least," he added with a smirk, "until you reach Luca."

Yuna stepped forward. "I wish I could come with you, but I'm going to stay to guard the temple until you return. When you get to Kilika, find Dona. She should be able to help you if another aeon appears."

Lulu stepped forward to speak to Vidina. "Hey, kiddo. A lot of the fiends are elemental; just remember which elements are opposite of each other, and you should be fine. I hope you can keep in touch through the CommSphere network."

Wakka patted his son on the back. "I'm still wary about you going on this trip. However, if Sin is back, we don't have a choice. As for your Thunder Shot, keep workin' on it, ya? You still have time before the Luca championship, so don't rush, OK?"

"Got it, Dad," Vidina replied. "I'll keep in touch, and I promise, we won't cause too much trouble." He glanced at Lukas and grinned, who gave a sly "yeah right" grin back. At that moment, a whirring sound was heard as a crimson airship with a seagull decoration on the deck flew into view and touched down near the docks.

"The Celsius!" Yuna exclaimed. "You called Rikku and asked her to bring the Celsius?"

"Yeah!" Lukas replied. "That way, we'll be in Kilika before sundown!"

Yuna rolled her eyes. "I'd better call Dona and let her know. Anyway, say 'hi' to Rikku for us!" She waved as the boys made their way into the open hatch, waved, and disappeared from view. The hatch closed, and the Celsius took off, heading for the island of Kilika.

Yuna finally stopped waving and turned to head back to the village. Tidus came up and put his arm around her. "Well," he began, "they're off."

Yuna fought back tears. "I almost wish they weren't going. I know how dangerous Sin can be. They'd better not get themselves killed."

"I understand," Tidus consoled. "But Lukas is growing up, even if it is too fast. He's getting a little cocky, it seems."

"You mean, he's turning into you."

"Hey! I wasn't that cocky at his age!"

Yuna smiled. "As I recall, you were the one who barged into Besaid Temple to make sure a certain summoner was okay?"

Tidus scratched the back of his head. "Hey, you never know! She could have been eaten by a Dark Aeon!" They both laughed as they headed back to the village.

Meanwhile, aboard the Celsius, Lukas and Vidina had made their way to the cabin, where the Celsius' faithful barkeep, an older Hypello, smiled warmly as the boys made their way in. "Hello, boysh, how are yoo?"

"Whoa! A Hypello!" Vidina exclaimed. "I've never seen one before!"

The Hypello laughed. "Yesh, we are a rare breed… Anywaysh, Lady Rikkoo hash prepared the cabin for you boys. Enjoy the ride!" With that, he went into his quarters adjacent to the bar.

Suddenly, the loudspeaker crackled. "Privates Vidina and Lukas! Please report to the bridge!"

"That would be Rikku," Lukas grinned. "Let's go!" With that, the boys headed to the elevator leading to the bridge.

"Vidina and Lukas, reporting for duty!" the boys announced as they emerged from the elevator onto the bridge. At the front of the bridge, the pilot set the control to auto-pilot and headed towards the boys. "At ease," she said, a grin crossing her face.

"I'm glad you were able to take us to Kilika, Rikku!" Lukas beamed. "I knew you'd be able to get us there fast."

"Anything for my little cousin," Rikku smiled. "So why did you need to get to Kilika so fast? Yuna told me about it, but she was a little hazy on the details." Lukas told her about how Sin was sighted and the events of what happened within the temple.

"Sin appeared?" Rikku exclaimed. "How is that possible? We defeated Yu Yevon and freed the Fayth twenty years ago!"

"That's what our parents said," Vidina replied. "But really, for right now, we can only do what we can until we learn more, ya?"

Rikku frowned. "Still, Sin's pretty dangerous. I'd help you out, but for now I'm afraid that there are other matters at Home to worry about." She thought for a moment. "I've got it! Wait here just a second!" She headed over to the communicator and pushed the button to speak. "Would the First Mate please report to the bridge? I repeat, would the First Mate please report to the bridge?" Putting away the communicator, Rikku returned to the boys with a smile on her face. "She'll be here in a moment."

While they were waiting, Vidina looked around the bridge, staring at wonder at some of the technology at work there. Suddenly, he noticed something familiar. "Is this a CommSphere blueprint?" he asked Rikku.

Rikku nodded. "You got it. The Al Bhed are responsible for using a lot of machina, and for spreading our technology throughout Spira. CommSpheres were created by a mutual friend of mine and Yuna's. He's one of the main inventors of Al Bhed technology. He was just a kid when he created that."

The door to the bridge opened, and Rikku looked at the newcomer who entered. "There you are, Miraya. I've got a mission that I think you'll like!" Vidina turned to see a spunky-looking blonde walk up to Rikku, her blonde ponytails bouncing as she walked. She was clad in an orange top, and wearing green pants. Upon her head sat a pair of goggles, held in place by a strap, which encircled her head. The young woman nodded after talking with Rikku, and turned towards the two boys. "So, my mother says Sin appeared, and that you're going to the temples to weaken its power?"

"That's the case," Lukas replied. "It probably would be a good idea to have you with us. Your dad runs the Machine Faction over in Djose, right?"

"Yeah," she replied. "He can probably help us get to the Chamber in the temple."

"Well, then, thanks for coming with us!"

"So it's settled?" Rikku asked.

"Yeah," Miraya replied. "I'll go with them."

"Then I'll radio Kilika and let them know we're arriving soon." Rikku replied, making her way back to the pilot's seat. "You guys head to the cabin and get acquainted until we get there, okay?"

In the cabin, Miraya turned to Lukas. "Wow. I haven't seen you for a while. You're getting big. Do you still draw?"

Lukas nodded. "I figure that since I can't summon, and I'm no good at blitzball, that I'd become an artist instead. What about you?"

"Well," Miraya began, "I like the Machine Faction and all, but I prefer my mom's work, if you can call it that. She's the head of the Al Bhed since my Grandpa died. Mom's a bit of a treasure hunter. She finds old artifacts and, after cleaning them up, she'll sell them. That's how we rebuilt Home."

"Do you like it?" Vidina asked.

"It's awesome! We actually found old spheres down near Baaj Temple. It turns out another treasure hunter was in that area about 1000 years ago when he was looking for the lost city of Baaj. However, that treasure hunter never returned. Baaj was never found. Mom thinks the city is near the temple, but we haven't really found anything yet."

Vidina was about to remark about how interesting that sounded, but Rikku's voice came over the loudspeaker. "Kids, report to the bridge! We've got a problem!"

"Sounds serious," Miraya remarked as she approached the ledge at the far side of the lounge, which led to the bar below. Jumping down, she motioned for the boys to follow her. Doing so, they approached the elevator and marked the button that led the elevator to the bridge.

Reaching the bridge, Miraya looked at her mother. "What's wrong?"

"It seems we're in trouble. The Kilikan Air Patrol won't let us land."

"What!"

"Well," Rikku adjusted a braid in her hair. "I was going to land outside the northern gate of the village, but the Kilikan Air Patrol said that there was a dangerous situation in that area, so they refused my request to land."

"So how are we going to get to Kilika Temple now?" Vidina asked.

"Well, we can't land _north_ of the village, that's for sure." Miraya replied. "However, if we land _south_ of the village, we should be okay."

"You mean, landing in the water?" Lukas asked.

"Of course! I'm sure they'd let us land there, Mom!"

"You know, I never thought of that. Alright, we'll land near the docks at the south end of the village." With that, Rikku directed the Celsius to the south end, landing the giant airship in the water with a _splash._ "Okay, everybody off!"

Exiting the airship, Vidina noticed that Kilika was made up of a bunch of huts sitting on poles above the water. He also noted the planks of the walkways, which seemed to wobble slightly as he walked over them. A middle-aged woman walked up to them, her black hair tied into a bun.

"So you're the kids? You don't look like much."

Lukas smiled. "You must be Lady Dona."

"The one and only," she shot back. "Come on, it's dangerous to be out right now. We'll head to my hut and talk more." Following Dona to her hut, Lukas looked around. Indeed, one could say it was dangerous to be out. The walkways of Kilika were all bare, with only one or two flags fluttering in the wind. The noise of gunshots was heard in the distance. _What's going on,_ wondered Lukas. _It's like there's some sort of battle going on. Is this going to hinder our progress?_

"Get in," Dona's voice cut through his thoughts as she lifted a flap covering the doorway of her hut.

"So what's going on out there?" Vidina asked when they were inside. "It sounds like something bad."

"Recently, a monster started attacking the village. Nobody knows what it looks like. Some say it's a shadow of some sort. Barthello went over to fight it, too. It almost burned down the village at one point."

A young woman entered the room, her dark hair tied back. She sat down with the group and looked over at Dona. "Mom, are these the ones Yuna told us about?"

"Yeah," Dona replied. "It would seem that they need to get to the temple. When the monster is defeated, will you serve as their guide?"

"Indeed. Until then, I'll get a room ready for you guys."

That night, Lukas crept out of the hut, heading towards the northern gate of the village. A guard stopped him, eyeing him suspiciously.

"What are you doing out so late, especially at a time when the monster can blend so well with the other shadows?"

"I would like to join the effort to fight the monster," Lukas explained. "Please open the gate so I can make my way through."

"Go ahead," the guard continued, "Just don't blame me if you're injured by the monster."

On the other side of the gate was the forest leading to Kilika Temple. Lukas ran through, as if looking for something. He dodged soldiers and came to a clearing that seemed to have no other way out. He turned to leave the clearing, but the sound of a low growl stopped him in his tracks. Blocking the entrance to the clearing was the monster, clothed in shadow. Lifting a paw to swipe at Lukas, the monster roared. Lukas quickly dodged the monster's attack and swung with his sword. The monster released a howl of pain, and Lukas noticed that he had drawn first blood, and quite severely. A huge gash sliced the monster's chest, and with another loud roar, it retreated into the forest. However, it passed under a beam of moonlight just long enough for Lukas to realize what the monster was.

"Dark Ifrit!"


	5. Chapter 5: Ifrit

**First off, I have to apologize. It's been a while since I've updated, due to other time constraints and projects. When I started this story, I said I would update every Wednesday and Saturday, but it seems that I have to push it back to every Saturday. BUT! I really want to thank you guys for your patience, too. I haven't recieved any death threats or hate mails because I haven't been able to update, so that's a good thing, I guess? LOL. Anyway, here is Chapter 5 in all it's glory.**

Chapter 5: Ifrit

"Vidina! Vidina, wake up!"

Vidina sleepily roused from his slumber and looked at Lukas, aggrivated. "What's the deal of waking me up this late?"

"Look, we need to head to the temple, now."

"Are you crazy, man? In case you lost a couple brain cells, I'll remind you that there's a monster in the forest, attacking the village!"

Miraya walked up. She had also been awakened by Lukas and she had a look of concern on her face. "It turns out that the 'monster' is actually the next Dark Aeon, Ifrit. Lukas snuck out to fight it and ended up injuring it. It only makes sense that Ifrit headed back to the temple, where it could use the flames inside to recuperate."

Vidina nodded as he took in the information. "I get it. So now would be the best time to go and unlock the seal, because while Ifrit is recuperating, the Kilikan army has a chance to regroup."

"We can't let them do that," Lukas began. "If they do, and launch an all-out attack on the temple, Ifrit will wipe them out. Then Kilika's going to be destroyed again."

"So what do we do?" Miraya asked. "I mean, it's not like we have anyone that could close the seal."

"We should probably figure that out after we fight Ifrit." Lukas responded. "Right now, we need to defeat it. Then we can come back and find someone who knows how to perform the sending."

"So that's it. We're going in right now and taking Ifrit out," Vidina reasoned. "Let's grab our gear. If Ifrit is anything like Valefor was, we're gonna need to be quick on our feet." With that, they left the hut and headed for the gate. In the shadows near the hut, a shadowed figure stood, clenching a fist.

"Those idiots!"

Kilika Woods was indeed quiet. It seemed as though the Kilikan forces had ceased their frantic search for the monster, and Lukas knew they didn't have much time. Dawn was approaching, and Lukas decided that dawn would be the time for the army to launch their offensive against Ifrit. Suddenly, he stopped. "Do you guys hear something?"

Vidina and Miraya listened intently. "I don't hear anything, Lukas," Miraya replied.

Lukas shrugged. "It must have been my imagination." _But I'm sure someone's following us. We'd better be a little more careful if we're going to survive._

Walking up the steps of the temple, Lukas looked up at the trees, where a faint glow of violet overshadowed the trees rustling in the wind, indicating the location of the temple. He looked at the other two, who had also noticed the eerie light. "Come on," he said.

Stepping up from the final steps, Lukas observed the scene before him, and immediately felt goosebumps on his skin. The torches around the entrance were lit, but instead of the warm fires that burned from them, cold black flames lapped menacingly at the air.

"I'm guessing he wasn't exactly expecting a nice, cozy visitor, ya?" Vidina joked.

Lukas also noticed that the door was shut. Pulling on the handle, he found out that it was locked. He tried kicking the door, but nothing happened. "It would seem that the door here is locked really well," he observed.

"Out of my way," Miraya commanded. She knelt down to examine the handle. "It's a pretty complex lock, with a various combination of tumblers."

"So does that mean we can't get in at all?" Vidina queried.

"I didn't say that." Reaching into her pocket, Miraya pulled out a small piece of metal that was shaped as if it had been bent by a forceful impact. Pushing it carefully into the lock, she maneuvered the metal in a way that neither Lukas and Vidina could quite comprehend. Seconds later, there was a click as the door opened.

"Whoa! That's amazing!" Vidina exclaimed. "How did you learn how to do that?"

Miraya looked at Vidina like he was crazy. "My mom's a treasure hunter, remember? We do stuff like this all the time! Anyway, Ifrit's waiting, and the Kilikan army is on it's way, so are we going to just stand here or are we gonna do something about it?" With that, she began walking through the entrance of the temple.

Lukas looked over at Vidina, then shrugged as the two followed.

Navigating the Cloister of Trials wasn't easy. Fire spewed from the walls in several places, nearly causing severe burns. After finally reaching the door outside the Cavern of the Fayth, Miraya stopped short. "Wait."

"What's wrong?" Lukas asked.

"We should take a little bit of time to heal up before we face Ifrit. The envirnment in the temple is a little unstable, don't you agree? Ifrit could be acting the same way."

"You don't call attacking the village 'unstable'?" Vidina pointed out.

Miraya rolled her eyes and handed each of them a potion. "Just drink this. It'll heal our burns and restore our health. We're gonna need it if fire is involved."

The potion had a sort of fruit-like taste as it went down, but it did what Miraya said it would. Everyone felt much better after drinking it. Lukas went up to the door. The glyph on the door was indeed warm to the touch, but inside, the Chamber was dark, and no sound was coming from inside. Lukas was apprehensive. "Did it already leave to attack the village again?"

"Look out!" Vidina cried, tackling his friend from out of nowhere and away from the door. An explosion was heard inside as a giant flame rushed out from the blackness. Regaining themselves, the two looked up at the door as the blackened beast saundered from the cavity of the Chamber. Glaring at the two, it let out a fearsome roar and jumped into the air, coming down with its claws extended. Lukas and Vidina barely had time to get out of the way as they grabbed their weapons and prepared for battle.

"Whoa!" Vidina breathed. "He's fast!"

The beast again jumped into the air, pushing itself off a wall and plummeting in Vidina's direction. The boy tried to escape, but was sideswiped by Ifrit's massive paw. Miraya tried to sneak up behind it, but the beast quickly turned around and blasted her backwards into the wall. Lukas tried to jump over Ifrit, but Ifrit saw it coming. He jumped upwards and slammed into Lukas, who fell to the floor, his sword clattering away across the floor. He looked up just in time to see the feral being again plummeting towards him, claws arched to draw first blood.

"Hey!"

Both Lukas and Ifrit stopped short as they looked towards the door. There stood Charity, facing the monster with a determined look on her face. "You're a real idiot, you know that? Ifrit's too fast for just you to defeat him!"

Ifrit wasted no time in charging towards her.

"Charity!" Lukas cried. "Look out!"

"STOP!" Charity cried as she threw out her hand at the monster. Ifrit howled as it strained its muscles to move, but to no avail. The spell held him tight.

"What are you doing here? You're going to get hurt!" Lukas exclaimed.

"Why do you think I was appointed to be your guide? I'm the daughter of a summoner who knows what you're up against! As for Ifrit's speed, that's why I've got this." Charity pulled from her pocket a glowing sphere that shimmered in the faint light.

"What is that?" Lukas asked. At that moment, Ifrit roared again as it began to move slowly.

"The spell's wearing off. Just watch!" Charity announced. "Change!"

Within seconds, her outfit began to change shape. A flowing blue fabric appeared around her legs, and her yellow vest changed to a color of deep blue. Light blue ruffles appeared around the neck of the vest, and a red shoelace bow appeared on Chairty's back. Jumping into the air, Charity grabbed onto a pole of light that appeared and changed into a microphone. Cowhide boots appeared on her legs and stopped their height just short of her knee. A mid-length black skirt girded her hips. Landing on the ground, Charity began to dance. Ifrit again let out a piercing angry howl as it moved, but not as fast as before. "And now," Charity began, "I begin my Slow Dance." She turned to Vidina, who had regained himself at the far side of the room. "Your Blizzard Blaster! Use it now!"

Vidina nodded. "Got it!" With that, he took his father's signature stance and wound back. The blitzball in his hands began to form a ball of ice, and when it was complete, he let the ball fly. Ifrit screamed as the ball exploded on impact in a flurry of ice and fell to the floor, weakened. Charity kneeled down to the aeon, stroking it's red fur before standing back. "I'm sorry, but for the sake of Spira, we have to do it."

"What do you mean?" Vidina asked.

Without responding, Charity once again resumed dancing. Ifrit moaned one last time, as if allowing the ritual to continue. Pyreflies filling the air, Ifrit sighed as its body burst to form the beautiful sparkling creatures. Moments later, the room grew darkened once again, and a somber silence lingered.

Miraya finally regained her stance as she pulled herself up from the floor. She looked around. "Is Ifrit gone?"

Vidina nodded. "Yeah. Charity performed the sending."

Suddenly, Altima appeared in the doorway to the Chamber. "It is a good thing that you have performed the sending."

"Altima..." Lukas began. "I saw the pain in Ifrit's face. Is this really the only way to unlock the seals in each temple?"

"I'm afraid so. However, Ifrit is again freed, and the stability of the temple was once again restored. However, Sin is growing stronger, and is heading towards the next seal. All of the temples have been bound in the power of darkness. For Sin to grow stronger, it feeds off of that darkness."

Charity nodded. "I get it. By sending each Dark Aeon, the seal once again is restored to light. Therefore, with no darkness to feed on, Sin's strength ceases to increase."

Altima nodded. "Correct. The next seal is at Djose, where the Aeon of Lightning, Ixion, awaits. Go, so that by opening the seals, we are able to stop Sin." With that, she disappeared.

"So," Vidina remarked. "We head to Djose, then?"

"Tomorrow morning," Chairty replied.

Lukas looked at her. "You're going?"

"Do you have anyone else who can perform the sending in as much of an awesome matter that I can?" Charity retorted without batting an eyelash.

"Touché," Lukas acknowledged.

"Anyway, let's stay at my house tonight. My father is wounded, and I would like to be sure that he is okay before I leave."

Lukas looked at Miraya and Vidina. "Is that okay with you guys?"

They nodded.

"To Dona's, then."


End file.
